


Unbroken

by kittyface27



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Celestial Dragons, Child Abuse, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Torture, One Piece - Freeform, Slavery, child Luffy, fisher tiger - Freeform, fishmen, not too long, sun pirates - Freeform, twin Luffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-05-16 06:06:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19312174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyface27/pseuds/kittyface27
Summary: Luffy and his twin Ruffy are abducted by the Celestial Dragons from their grandpa. When they turn into slaves - more like toys - will they stay themselves? They have each other after all, along with some unlikely friends.





	1. Prologue

**Another fic! I've had this idea in my head for a long time, but it was always just Luffy. But, I thought having twins would be fun to write. Luffy and Ruffy, lol. This is a slavery fanfiction, so there is child abuse and light torture, along with dark themes and depression. Nothing extremely graphic.**

**I've done Big Mom Pirates, the Whitebeards, Straw Hats, so now I wanted to do the Sun pirates. Now, all I need is a fanfiction with Shanks! Enjoy~**

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**Song listened to: Younger Dreams**

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"That was really fun, grandpa! A good birthday!" a little boy said next to his grandfather, holding his big hand with his small. "I liked the big wheel most! And the cotton candy was yummy."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. The big wheel was my favorite, too, since I could ride with both of you," the marine hero, Garp, replied. His other grandchild disagreed with both, but was still excited and not angry sounding.

"No, the twirly one was best!" the twin said.

"That one was bad, Ruffy! I throwed up," Luffy pouted. He was still in the middle of eating a popsicle.

"I din't mean it like that. I don't like you throwed up. I had fun on it, that's why," Ruffy replied. He was eating a popsicle, too. If the twins didn't have different popsicles, there was no way you could tell them apart. They liked that. They thought it was funny to trick their grandpa whenever he came to visit them. They even wore the same clothes just so they could.

Of course, Garp never told them that he could easily tell them apart just because of their demeanors, if not the three freckles on Ruffy's nose that were just barely there. Both of them held one of Garp's hands. It was later, and both boys bed time was coming.

They were both five years old, small and frail looking. They were heading back to the ship Garp had taken them with. It was a little vacation to Sabaody Park, after the first half of the day was spent exploring the island and playing with all of the bubbles in the local park. They didn't get to see their grandpa much, so it was nice that they were allowed to have a vacation with him.

Years of building up break days had brought them this month long vacation to different islands in the Grand Line, away from their home island, which was the smallest and least sparse island at the beginning of the long Grand Line.

Ruffy finished his popsicle first, and rubbed his brown eyes with his fist. "Grandpa, can you carry me? I am tired right now," the little one said.

"Big boys walk, Ruffy!" Luffy said, though not in a mean spirit. His brother pouted, but reached up for Garp to carry on his shoulders, Garp keeping him steady with one big hand while the other kept Luffy from running off to anywhere he found interesting.

Luffy was the harder twin to keep track of, as he was always a bundle of energy. Ruffy was the more reserved and shy one. "Big boys walk when they want, and rest when they need to," Garp said with a smile. "You're both big boys. Don't worry." Both boys giggled the same laugh.

They were almost to the docks when Garp froze and quickly stopped, unintentionally yanking Luffy's arm back as he continued walking.  _Damn_. He gave a big sigh, and set Ruffy down, kneeling to both boys' heights.

"Before we get back on the ship, we have to bow to some people, okay? Then we can go and eat some dinner and go to sleep," Garp said seriously, but kindly, to not alert them that they were going to be near evil people.

A Celestial Dragon family were riding their big slaves through Sabaody. There weren't supposed to be any that day. That was the reason why Garp chose today to go out to the busy areas of the island. He made sure to keep his uniform on to deter pirates from him and his boys.

Luffy and Ruffy exchanged a confused look, but nodded to their grandpa. "We must be quiet and respectful. Like Makino taught you," the man clarified. The boys nodded again, and wondered why grandpa seemed more tense. But they did as he said, and the three bowed to the Celestial Dragons passing them.

Then Ruffy sneezed. It was quiet, and would have gone unnoticed if not for Luffy saying, "Bless you". Garp froze as the world nobles stopped walking, the chains of their slaves clanking. Garp took a chance and flicked his eyes up to see a young Celestial Dragon girl looking at the boys. They both looked up at the exact same time, with the same confused face.

"Daddy, I want these two. They look the same!" she said with her snobby voice. Garp tensed, but automatically shot his hands out to the sides to hold onto his grandsons' hands. The girl sneered at Garp.

"These two are not for sale," Garp said in a tight voice. He brought attention to himself to show he was a high class marine, but should have known that wouldn't matter to the World Nobles in front of him.

"You think we need to buy a slave to have them? Give these two to my daughter," the oldest of the group of world nobles said. The twins sat up, confused as to what was going on. Ruffy was scared. He didn't like these people.

"I cannot do that," Garp said in an even tighter voice than before. He stared right at the girl's father, who grew angry.

"Do it or I'll kill them," he said. Ruffy started crying, Luffy hurrying over and hugging him.

"Don't worry, grandpa will keep us safe," Luffy said to his crying brother. Luffy always protected him when he was scared. Garp's heart broke from the words as he released his hold on the boys. He knew the Celestial Dragons would kill the two as the man said. Both boys looked at him in confusion as he released both of their hands.

Ruffy was pulled up harshly, with Luffy following and pulled him away. But Luffy was five, and the girl was older and stronger than the little boy. "Hey! No!" Luffy protested, pulling on Ruffy to get him back to grandpa. He was slapped on the face, and Ruffy cried louder. He was hit, too.

Luffy glared at her, but didn't hit back. Makino said violence was bad. "Leave him alone, meanie!" Luffy shouted. Something was put around Ruffy's neck, heavy and hurting his small shoulders.

Luffy was pulled by his messy black hair towards the girl, a collar clanked around his neck, too. "Grandpa!" both boys started crying. "Help!" But Garp didn't come. He had tears in his eyes. He would get the boys back. He would. But for now, they needed to go. He just prayed they wouldn't anger the World Nobles, or become too fun of "toys" for them.

The boys protested being taken away, and were eventually dragged across the ground by the chains attached to the collars. They were both wearing jackets, so the dragging didn't hurt them. They kept screaming for their grandpa, not understanding why he was letting them be treated like this.

Finally, they made their way to their feet, and after being hit again, they angrily followed the mean people taking them away. People looked at the crying boys in pity and sympathy. It was hard enough seeing regular slaves, but crying, young children was just horrific.

Garp had rushed away and to the ship, calling Sengoku immediately, not knowing what to do. Garp was hysterical, so uncomposed that Sengoku almost didn't recognize his voice. The man hurt telling his friend he'd most likely never see them again.

He was ordered to not go after the Celestial Dragons, for that would be more likely to have the twins killed, as punishment to Garp for defying them. They would make him watch as they murdered the boys.

Garp almost resigned right then and there. He would not work for these people. But Sengoku convinced him to stay on, for if the world nobles decided they didn't want the boys and sold them, Garp would be more connected to information about their whereabouts.

The older man cried once the call was over, sitting on the bed Luffy and Ruffy had been adamant about sharing.

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**Poor Garp. Like always, I'll say I created the way the twins act. It might be off for their age, but all children are different. Review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Joy is the worst and meanest character I've ever written. I'm sorry Luffy and Ruffy! Enjoy~**

 

The boys huddled in a corner in the elevator they were in, going high up into the air, leaving Paradise and going up the Red Line. They just barely saw the ship they'd come from, stationed where it had been when they docked that morning.

Ruffy was still crying, while Luffy was trying to comfort him. Luffy was more angry than sad. These mean people made his brother cry! But he couldn't get the collars off no matter how much he pulled and yanked at them.

None of the other slaves said anything, but looked at the boys with pity. Other than that, they just had blank looks as they looked at the ground. Luffy didn't like this, while Ruffy just continued to cry quietly. But both were confused as to why grandpa just let them be hit and dragged away. Did he not love them after all? Had he been lying when he said that all of the time?

The elevator ride was slow and took a long time. When Ruffy did look up, he was terrified of how high up in the air they all were. But he made sure to stay quiet. Luffy said so, so he listened and didn't say anything.

It was too soon that they were out of the elevator and yanked by the collars that were too heavy for them to be comfortable. And they were cold, making both boys shiver. It was cold up here, and they were both shivering.

The other slaves didn't shiver even though they didn't have much clothing. The twins were glad they didn't have to be one of the slaves to carry anyone. Grandpa had helped them "train" by hitting sand bags, but they were still weak little five year olds. There was no way they could carry anybody. Not even the ten year old girl that took them.

Luffy had never wanted to hurt someone as much as he did this girl. But Ruffy had been the one to tell him he shouldnt make anyone here angry. And Luffy agreed. So, reluctantly though obediently, they followed the group.

The city they were in was sparkly, even more than the kingdom on their island that they'd went to once with Makino to buy some things. It was very clean, but everyone was dressed weird. And why did most of them have strange faces?

Luffy and Ruffy looked at each other in confusion every time someone weird looking passed. But they had been told to be nice and not say mean things to people, so they said nothing, even to each other, about the strange appearances.

The boys were lead inside a big building, but instead of being taken down the sparkling halls, they were pulled down into a basement-like place by a couple men in black suits and sunglasses.

They were stripped of their clothes to their underwear and given gray and thin clothing. Luffy asked why he wasn't allowed to wear his other clothes, but was ignored. It frustrated him, but Ruffy shook his head to him, telling him to not backtalk. They also lost their shoes, given thin slippers that were much too big, as were the clothes.

Then, they were dragged into a dark room that smelled very badly. It was quiet, and there was little light, but it was hot. Their eyes adjusted and they saw the room was full of people and big things that were alive but not quite people.

Everyone were in cages, and the boys were ushered into one, with the cell door slammed after them. "Hey! Let us out!" Luffy shouted, but the man in black left, closing the creaking door shut, and locking it. Ruffy looked around in fear. They didn't know any of these people, and Makino always said not to talk to strangers. Though no one spoke. Well, not to them.

Someone big sighed. "More children," he grumbled in a deep voice from across the room and in another cage. Luffy grumbled about being ignored and explored the cage, seeing the other people sharing it. Ruffy just huddled in a corner.

There were a couple of girls in the cage with them. They were all older than the boys by many years. One of them had very messy hair with a forced smile and blank eyes. She didn't make eye contact with either boy, just kept smiling that blank smile that even the twins knew wasn't real.

Then, there were three other girls, at least ten years older than them, all huddled together. One of them had a much bigger face than the other two. Luffy could tell they were cleaner than the other girl, and they glared at the boy. He frowned, but then walked back to his brother to comfort him. He still shook with cries.

"Don't worry, Ruffy. Grandpa will come get us," Luffy said to him, rubbing circles on his back. It was too quiet for the boys, so Luffy finally spoke to someone else.

"Where are we?" Luffy asked the room. It was like there had never been any noises in here, for many of the inhabitants flinched at the noise.

"You're in the slave's quarters in Mary Jeiose," an honest voice said from across the room. Luffy asked what a slave was. "Someone who has to do what the World Nobles want. And you will both be hurt." Ruffy started crying again, but no one shushed him. They knew how the boys felt.

"Why?" Luffy asked in a tight and fearful voice.

"Because they want to. They get to do whatever the hell they want," a bitter voice came from the black haired teen near the boys. She looked disgusted, while also fearful. "Your grandpa probably won't come for you."

The green haired girl next to her said, "Big sister, they're children, don't say things like that."

"It's the truth. Why not tell them now?" the older sister said. Both boys started crying loudly.

"That's why," a fishman from across the room grumbled. The loud sound of the boys freaked out the other girl in the cell with the blank eyes and forced smile, and she began to giggle in a somewhat crazed sounding voice. No one tried to stop her.

Luffy and Ruffy were hungry all night, their stomachs growling loudly. "I'm hungry, Luffy."

Luffy nodded. "Me too. When's dinner?" he asked the room, not knowing anyone's name. The man who had spoken to them multiple times on the other side of the room answered, "You'll get some bread and cold soup in the morning."

"What?! Cold soup in the morning? What about dinner!" Luffy cried. Ruffy was just as upset, his stomach roaring even louder.

"You won't get three meals a day, and they won't be enough to make you full. Dont complain about it," the orange haired girl said, who was holding her older sister, who seemed to be having a nightmare.

Ruffy looked to her, and asked, "Is she okay?" in a concerned voice. The sisters besides the oldest looked at the boy with a soft smile.

"Just a bad dream. She's alright." Then the green haired girl introduced herself as Sandersonia, with her sister Marigold. "Our oldest sister is Hancock."

"I'm Ruffy, Luffy is my brother," the boy said quietly. Neither brother could sleep. If they slept, then it might not be a nightmare. They cant sleep inside a dream, can they? Then it means that what's happening is real. "I'm sure grandpa will let you out when he calls the marines," Ruffy said in a serious voice. No one could bring themselves to tell him that wasnt going to happen, and that the marines  _worked_ for their slavers. Meaning, their grandpa is working for those who will torture his grandsons.

"That would be nice," Marigold said. "Why don't you try and go to sleep? You'll need it tomorrow." Everyone knew what happened the second day. When you were claimed  _officially_ by a World Noble. No one wanted to hear the boys' screams, but it was inevitable.

"Luffy, let's try to sleep," Ruffy said sadly. Luffy protested, saying he was too hungry to sleep. "Try?" Luffy looked down, but agreed that he'd try. And, despite their constantly grumbling tummies, they fell asleep against each other.

-x-

"Hey! Let go of me!" Luffy shouted as he was dragged from the cage, the chains clamped back on his heavy collar. The same was done to his brother, who was crying instead of shouting angrily. Neither boy noticed the pity and sadness the other slaves had. It was very early in the morning, so no one had come to get them yet.

It was ten minutes after the newest slaves left that screams of bloody murder were heard. The somewhat crazed looking girl in the youngers' cage, Koala, covered her ears at the sound. The others all hunched over, remembering the awful pain of the branding. Of their humiliating and terrible marks forever on their backs.

The boys were thrown back into the cage, both sobbing and screaming about the pain. Sandersonia moved to them, and pat their heads. Hancock just looked away, her cold expression present again. Marigold refused to look at the boys. The fishman across the room sighed at the sight.

The slaves who had been there longer had seen this many times. Children were rare, as they died easily, so they didn't see them much. But the veteran slaves had seen many that come, and quickly go. They just don't come back one day, and no one voices the fact that they most likely died.

There had been instances where the children had killed themselves. There had been multiple times that someone killed themselves in the middle of the night, finding different ways to do it. Pulling off clothing and tightening it around their necks until they couldn't breathe, or bashing their heads against the wall until they were dead or braindead, where they would be disposed of anyways.

The boys only got a couple hours of recovery until they were dragged out of the room again, to start their first day as toys. The children were always toys.

"It hurts, Luffy!" Ruffy cried. Luffy agreed, and tears continued to fall down his face, but he wanted to be strong for his brother, who was not in good shape. No one had responded to either boy about needing bandaids, or for someone to kiss them better.

The shirts that covered their backs agitated the burns, and they were starting to itch. The boys held hands as they followed the man holding their chains, and were brought to a room with a big door. The twins looked at it nervously. What was behind it?

When the door was opened, Luffy scowled. It was the girl that started the whole thing. "Here are your new pets, Joy-sama," the delivery man said, bringing the leashes to "Joy". Luffy wanted to laugh bitterly. Why would anyone like this be associated with the name Joy? It sure didn't make Luffy or Ruffy happy to be here. She gave them a cruel smile, that had both fidgeting nervously, gripping each other's hands tighter. The pain throbbed in their backs, but they both did their best to not think about it.

"You, sit," Joy said. Neither boy knew which one she meant. "You, left boy. Go sit in that chair." Neither knew how to tell left and right. So Ruffy nudged Luffy forward, on a guess of him being left. It was correct, but both boys wanted to go together. Luffy didn't want to part from his brother. But he sat in the chair, glaring at the girl.

"Stop glaring at me, pet." Luffy scowled deeper. Ruffy was shaking his head behind Joy. "Do you want to be punished?" Joy asked in a sickly sweet voice. Luffy shook his head and stopped glaring. "Good. For your first training, I want you to go get me grapes. And then you have to peel them for me."

"...Where are the grapes?" Luffy asked slowly, his jaw tight in anger. She suddenly threw a shoe at his face. "Hey!" he cried as he held his cheek.

"You don't speak unless spoken to! You're lucky I'll let you talk at all. Animals don't talk," Joy snarled.

"But how can I know where the grapes are?" Luffy questioned, truly confused. Joy put her hands on her hips. "Use your brain!" Luffy stood there, trying to think. He'd stood up after having the shoe thrown at him. His eyes flicked to Ruffy, who pointed at the little kitchen nook in the corner. Grapes were food, so they must be kept in a kitchen.

Luffy swallowed and walked to the kitchen. The chain was extremely long and the room was big, so he made it to the kitchen easily. He hissed at the pain in his back. It hurt more when moving. "I'm going to call you 'Left', and the other 'Right'," Joy said, sounding like she thought she was the smartest one ever.

"But those aren't our names," Luffy said. He had to jump to reach the grapes in the big refrigerator. He dropped them on the floor, which caused him to look up and see Ruffy had a red mark on his cheek.

"Animals don't have names. Everytime you back talk or make me mad, I will punish your brother. And vice versa," she said with a grin. Neither twin asked what "vice versa" meant. Luffy glared at her, earning a kick at Ruffy's shin.

It was the best thing she could have done to make the boys obey her. They would never want each other to get hurt, especially being the reason for it. Luffy brought her the grapes, wanting to spit on them, and peeled them neatly. He had washed his hands before, for Joy didn't like dirty things.

While she was hand fed the grapes, Ruffy was made to paint her nails. "You should feel lucky. Most pets don't get baths, but I don't like dirty things, so you both will get to be washed. Of course, with cold water and no hair products," she bragged, as if either boy cared about having clear hair.

"Left, come here. I want to see something," Joy said as Ruffy did his very best to paint her toes neatly. It was hard for him, since he'd never done this before. But he didn't want Luffy to get in trouble if he messed up.

Luffy put down the bowl of grapes and walked to her. "Turn around," the girl commanded. So Luffy did so, and cried out when she slapped his back. "Shut up," she snapped. But Luffy couldn't help but cry at the pain. "Hhm, looks like you two already got branded. Good! You're both my pets, so you have to have something that shows who owns you, after all."

Luffy just about punched her in the face. He'd never wanted to be violent with anyone, but he wanted to hurt this girl. He wanted to call her the mean words he knew, spit on her. But he didn't want Ruffy to be punished. He might do it if it were him to be punished, but he didn't want Ruffy to cry or get hurt because of him.

"Next time either or you back talks, I'll slap your brands. Right, keep painting my nails. Why did you stop?" Ruffy looked down and continued to paint her nails until they were all done. But then a drop of the polish fell on the white carpet.

Luffy was brought over and had his back slapped and then was ordered to scrub the carpet. Ruffy cried from this. He felt guilty when his brother screamed. But then, Ruffy got slapped since Luffy made a loud noise without permission.

By the end of the first hour, both boys were inconsolable and sobbing at being hit and verbally abused and tormented. Joy didn't like this, of course, but neither could stop. Hitting them more just made it worse and them louder.

"No food for either of you the rest of the day! Shut up!" Everything Joy did was counterintuitive as they just upset the twins even more. Finally, she hit one of them hard enough on the head to knock him out. Luffy screamed at her in horror when Ruffy hit the carpet.

The boy picked up Ruffy and dragged him away, trying to keep his brother safe, but was painfully yanked back by his collar. Though Joy acted like it was annoying, she clearly enjoyed upsetting them.

When she heard their stomach's grumbling later, she purposely ordered a big meal for herself and ate it in front of them. She even offered "Right" a strawberry, and, being starving, he tried to eat it, only to have Joy pop it in her mouth. Ruffy cried again.

By the end of their first day of "training", they had many bruises and were crying non-stop, though they'd managed to do it quietly. They held hands on their way back to the cages, and were finally given barely anything to eat. The fishman the night before said they'd get it at breakfast, but that didn't happen.

"Luffy, I wanna go home," his twin cried. Luffy nodded his head in agreement, wiping his eyes furiously with his fists. They both sat in the corner of their shared cell, shirts off to not aggravate their untreated burns.

"Grandpa will come," Luffy said quietly. He hugged Ruffy tightly, trying to comfort him. But he accidentally brushed the burned skin, and Ruffy cried out. "I'm sorry!" Luffy cried about hurting his brother. There was literally nothing around to help the burns, and clearly no one was going to help treat them.

"It will hurt for awhile, boys," a deep voice said from not far away. "It will take some time to heal, and no one will help you." This made the boys cry more, but they were at least quiet about it.

"Wh- why did they hur- hurt us?" Ruffy cried. The man sighed sadly.

"Because they can." Everyone else in the room was quiet, not that all of the slaves had returned. Just those that were no use or bored them that day. So all there was was Koala, the creepy girl in the corner, the boys, and one merman. The women were all gone, and all of the adult men as well.

"That's stupid!" Luffy shouted. "Th-they get to do whatever they want?! Why!" he cried, angry. Very angry. The fishman sighed again.

"Because they think they're gods, and they are treated as gods. They see common folk as trash, and below them. Therefore they can walk all over them as much as they want." Ruffy then asked what "gods" were. Garp wasn't exactly the religious type, and Makino didn't speak about religion either.

"A god is someone or something that people worship and believe is above them. A higher power. Someone with the ability to do something normal humans can't. The Celestial Dragons, those that hurt you, are not gods. A god might not even exist." His words had distracted the boys, who looked up at him in interest, though they still had tears down their faces. "What are your names?" the merman asked.

"Luffy."

"Ruffy."

"My name is Aladine." Both boys thrust one hand out in front of them. Aladine almost smiled and shook both boys' hands. He was surprised neither child had commented on his form yet. He clearly wasn't human.

"Nice to meet ya," the boys said in unison. The merman already couldn't tell them apart if they moved from where they were positioned.

"Alidine, why do people believe in a god?"

"Are gods supposed to be good?"

"Do gods exist?"

"Will a god come and save us?"

Aladine wasn't the most talkative person, but he humored the boys, who acted like he was just some other adult. It was refreshing. All of the previous children were afraid of him and his fishmen brothers, no matter their age.

After around an hour of the merman talking to the boys, Luffy asked, "What are you? You look diffrint." But it was with honest and open curiosity, no ill intent. Ruffy frowned at him.

"That's rude, Luffy!" he scolded. Luffy's brilliant answer was, "But!"

"It's fine. I am a merman," he answered. Both boys frowned, and cocked their heads at the same time.

"You dont look like a mermaid," Luffy said, his hand on his chin. Ruffy nodded his head in agreement.

"Mermaids are women. I am a male mermaid: a merman." Both bonked their fists in their other hand.

"Oh! That makes sense," they said in unison. "But..."

"-Why are you not in water?" Luffy finished Ruffy's sentence. "How can you breathe in the air? I thought mermaids had to be in water to live. Right?" Aladine wondered where they had gotten their information. Mermaids and mermen did exist in the world, so surely they knew they were real. They should know that merfolk could breathe in air. Well, they were only children. Looked to be about four or five.

"Merfolk can breathe in the water and air."

"Wow!" they both said at the same time.

"I wanna be a merman when I grow up," Ruffy exclaimed, Luffy agreeing and nodding his head vigorously. "Ah! But what about the sea monsters grandpa talks about. Won't they eat you? Can you talk to fishes?"

Aladine had a very small hint of a smile. "Well, you can't grow up to be a merman," (they both pouted) "you have to be born one." He didn't tell them they probably wouldn't grow up to be able to be considered grown ups. He didn't want these boys to be broken.

**Review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A little cameo included! Said cameo is NOT related to the twins and is a different age than cannon compared to Luffy. Think of the rest of the characters in the OP world are separate from the twins. Everything is the same everywhere besides Luffy and Ruffy. The Whitebeard pirates are the as they would be in the cannon world. Ace is still alive and is still 20. Thatch is still alive as Ace was still with Marco at the time and therefore Thatch hadn't been killed yet.**

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**Luffy and Ruffy are the only different things. They are separate and have no affiliation with Ace. Garp is still Ace's grandpa, but that doesn't really matter in this.**

**Enjoy~**

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The ground was dusty and dirty, so dirty the boys could play tic tac toe in it, keeping their attention away from the loneliness and stinging and itching of their fresh brands. Despite Aladine being a doctor, he could do nothing to help treat them. He dearly hoped neither would get infected and cause one of them to die.

Both would die if that happened. The one left behind would die inside, and no doubt lose his life not long afterwards. He noticed that Ruffy was the more quiet and shy one when it came to talking. Luffy was much louder and more confident that their grandpa was going to save them, though the merman questioned if that was sincere or trying to comfort his brother, who burst into tears randomly.

More slaves trickled in, and everyone felt pity for the sisters, who always came in crying or furious. Everyone knew what happened to them, but no one had ever spoken of it. Until now.

"Are you okay?" Ruffy asked, leaving the game of tic tac toe to go and see Hancock, who was crying while also cursing.

"I'm fine," she snapped. Ruffy developed a deep frown.

"Hey! Don't be mean to Ruffy. He's just being nice to you," Luffy scolded, hugging Ruffy, whose face was red, like he was embarrassed. "We had a bad day, too, you know. That girl hit Ruffy when I did something bad, and hurt me when Ruffy did!" This disgusted some of the slaves who actually cared about anything in life, which were few.

"You've only been here one day," Hancock said coldly. Marigold put her hand on her older sister's back.

"Big sister, they are children. They aren't men. Don't be rude to them," she said quietly. Hancock frowned at herself for getting in an argument with scared children. Like she had been. The teen hunched her back against the wall, wanted to hide the brand that would always be on her body.

"How old are you two?" Sandersonia asked.

"Five," Luffy replied.

"I- I'm sorry for snapping at you," Hancock said quietly. Her sisters gave small smiles. The boys quickly forgave her and wandered back to their game of tic tac toe. When they turned their backs, the sisters all looked saddened, but also terrified as they each had flashbacks of the day they were branded, when they were children.

But at least they were older children. These two were the youngest the three had seen since being held prisoner there for three years. They were finally able to look away and back at the floor, wishing the boys would turn the other direction.

When Luffy continued to win, Ruffy accused him of cheating, which brought on a very immature argument about how you can't cheat at this game, but that Luffy was somehow doing it anyways! The three teens had never been around boy children so they werent used to siblings arguing like this. It was slightly entertaining, but also annoying.

It was strange and no one was used to slaves speaking in the usual silent room. When the food was brought in for everyone but the boys, Koala and Aladine, who'd already been fed before, Luffy and Ruffy stared longingly at the food the others had, though the "soup" had been the worst thing they'd ever tasted, and the bread was hard as a rock. But at least they werent moldy.

They were at least given water, to make sure and keep them alive, even if they were practically being starved.

The boys didn't want to go to bed that night, because the next day they'd have to see Joy again. But they couldn't help that they needed more sleep, especially after a very stressful day, and were the first to fall asleep. Curled up together on the hard stone floor. It took much longer for everyone to fall asleep, like always, and some were a bit jealous of the ease the boys had and how they each had someone to cuddle with.

The boys woke up the next day to Hancock screaming and crying about being dragged away. The boys shot up from the sudden, loud noise. Ruffy got up and ran at the cage door. "Hey! Leave her alone, meanie!" he shouted. When the man in back gave him a glare, the boy lost his courage and backed away to Luffy, who hugged his brother protectively.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped.

"Joy will break you both soon enough," he said with a sneer and continued to drag Hancock away. Luffy glared at the back of the mean man, before looking at the ground. He turned to Aladine.

"What did he mean? Break like get hurt?" the boy asked.

"He meant that the girl will make you not yourself anymore, and be scared and hurt all of the time," he explained in a flat voice. He didn't want to see these boys end up like all of the children who come and go.

"No! We won't!" Luffy protested. Ruffy nodded.

"Not break!" he said strongly. "We are strong! Grandpa says so." They didn't hear Aladine and a few of his fellow fishman slaves say, "I hope so."

The boys were given water and then taken out of the room. They struggled against the man for a bit in the beginning before frowning deeply and walking obediently so the collars didn't hurt their sore necks. They wished they had smaller collars. And they could just about fit their heads through the hollow part, but only a little bit too big to pull the collar over their heads.

Joy grinned wickedly when her pets/toys entered the room. They were both holding hands tightly, wearing deep frowns of hatred and worry, as well as fear they were both reluctant to acknowledge.

Joy tormented them like the day before, though she changed their names from Left and Right to Up and Down, which was confusing the five year olds. She played dress up with them, and slapped Ruffy when Luffy automatically told her only girls wear dresses. She brushed their hair harshly, pulling out little knots, and she put makeup on them.

Luffy was hit on his brand when Ruffy licked his tasty lip gloss off, which apparently wasn't for eating. By the end, both of them looked like sickly dolls. It was humiliating, and the boys just wanted to rip all of the clothing apart. But they didn't, and she walked them around the castle, showing them off as her living dolls. It was embarrassing to say the least.

That lasted for much of the day. And after that, they were forced to "bathe" with a hose and a bucket of freezing water. It was miserable, and made them hate Joy even more. Her ugly face and just as ugly voice. Her sneers and her body language. She was so full of herself.

When food was brought to her by a slave the boys had seen in the cages, the two wanted to hide so no one from that area would see them. But the man never looked up, and bowed when he was told to leave and come get her plate later. Once again, she taunted them with the food.

She enjoyed hearing their little tummies painfully growl at the sight of the delicious looking food. And she would drink juice that the boys craved. The water they were given was gross. Was water supposed to taste like anything?

They were kept in the doll outfits all day, and the dresses itched. They rubbed the makeup off by accident, and were punished for that, even though it wasn't intentional and they told her that.

That night, the boys left her more angry than scared. They  _hated that girl._  She was a bully, and bullies were bad. Grandpa and Makino said so. They had never been bullied before at home, even though they were very small for their age.

The kids would include them in games back home. They missed their friends and family. But they still were holding on by their fingertips that grandpa would come and get them. Yet, he let them be taken away and hit. He did nothing. But… there had to be a reason. Right?

The two were tossed into their cage with the make up still on, that they furiously rubbed onto their newer shirts, as their stinky clothes were changed with other raggedy clothes. The twins didn't want anyone to see the make up. Boys don't wear make up like that!

"I hate her," Luffy grumbled as the boys laid on their stomachs and doodled in the dust with their little pinkies, they would rather be sitting against the wall, but it would aggravate their burns.

"Me too. She's mean," the other said quietly. They were glad no one said anything about the make up still on their faces, even though they had thought all of it was taken off. "When will grandpa come...?"

"Dunno. Hope soon."

-x-

Each day the boys were taken to their "mistress", as she made them call her, they were named something different. "True, False. Black, white. Front, back. It was always antonyms. But finally, when she couldn't come up with anything and was becoming annoyed when she couldn't tell them apart, she had "White" come to her, and she cut his left cheek under his eye with a fork. It bled a lot, and made Luffy sob for a long time, Ruffy holding him and glaring at Joy. The boys didn't think about it at the moment, but if the cut scarred, they would be able to be visibly different. They wouldn't like that once it was realized.

The brands grew nasty, and they were glad they couldn't see them. They went shirtless whenever they could, but at least the cold water made them feel good when they were forced to take ice baths. They were the best smelling besides Hancock and her sisters. Everyone else smelled of sweat and other smelly things.

A week after their capture, the fishman all liked the two. They practically demanded to be told stories of their home under the sea. The boys swore that when they got out, they'd visit Fishman Island. They'd go under the sea and see so many sea creatures. Even the sea kings! The men humored the boys, not wanting to ruin their beliefs in freedom with the truth.

-x-

The day came, three weeks after their capture, when they were forced to carry Joy around the castle on a little chair they held up. But, they were terrible at balance, and tripped her multiple times. Though they were punished for it, and it was an accident, they enjoyed it, hoping she'd get more injured, and wouldn't be able to hurt them for awhile.

Joy did finally give up after the fourth drop, even though they were short and the falls werent painful, and dragged them along with their collars.

On their way back from the bathhouse they had to wait outside while Joy took a bath, that had bubbles, which the boys missed, she told them terrible news they hadnt known about.

"Did you know those collars are bomb collars. Do you idiots know what a bomb is? It's something that explodes into fire. If you somehow get away from here, BOOM! You'll explode and die. So never leave the palace, even if you can. You have no way to escape," she taunted. The twins looked horrified after that, and stopped walking, eyes widened bigger than ever before.

"Keep walking," she ordered.

The twins did not touch or pull on the bomb collars anymore. That night, they'd turned to Aladine, and Ruffy asked, "Are these really bomb collars?" He and Luffy had wide and fearful eyes. Aladine nodded.

"Yes, they are." The two fell apart, sobbing loudly in fear. No one comforted them. They missed Makino's hugs. Or when their friend Zoro would just tell them to be big boys and that strong people dont cry like that. Even being told that was better than no one saying anything to comfort or calm them.

-x-

"We're going down to the island today. You two are coming with me, so I can show you off to everyone," Joy said, a couple months into their slavery. She was annoyed that they still werent broken. All of her other past and present slaves had submitted quickly.

But, tormenting these two but taking out anger on their sibling was enjoyable. She'd never had twins before, since they werent exactly common. Especially children twins, since they mostly come across adults.

The boys were dressed up in the doll clothes, trying to get her to stop. They didn't want to be paraded around in front of regular people! It was embarrassing by just seeing  _each other_  in them. They got some smacks to their brands, which didn't hurt as much as they had. Not nearly as much as when they first got them.

The boys were in their fluffy dresses that Joy had made just for them, and put the makeup on with their slightly longer hair in tiny ponytails. The ride down the bubble elevator was both nerve wracking and exciting. They were going to be out in fresh air! If the collars werent bombs, they'd try and escape. But, they didn't want to be blown up.

The other slaves, the much bigger ones used as "steeds", looked at the boys in pity, but of course said nothing. The little girl really was cruel, but at least the twins got to bathe and not be whipped or cut, except for the now scar under Luffy's left eye.

The Celestial Dragons walked around Sabaody, enjoying the fear and respect they were given from the "trash" of normal people. Luffy and Ruffy looked down the whole time, cheeks pink from not just the makeup. They were held on their chains on either side of Joy, so they didn't get to hold each others' hand in comfort.

"Smile," Joy commanded. The boys gave slight grimaces. The closest thing they could do to smile at the moment. They had never wanted to destroy the dresses more than they wanted right now.

They two didn't see the pity on the people's faces as they watched them once the nobles passed. Poor little boys. They were so young. For their age, they looked four, not five- almost six. The girl carrying their chains looked smug at the poor children.

When Luffy looked up once, he saw the lights and heard the sounds from the amusement park. The last good memory they had before grandpa let them get taken. Luffy couldn't help but have watery eyes, though he did his best not to let them fall and ruin the make up, or Ruffy would get hit.

But, when he sniffed once, Joy turned around to see a tear smearing the eyeliner down the boy's cheek. "You're not supposed to cry and ruin the make up!" she said angrily, before hitting Ruffy hard on the back, making him stumble a bit. Luffy rubbed the tear away gently, trying to not make the smear worse, and mouthed an apology to his brother.

The adults who saw this glared at the girl's back. What a despicable child. Punishing one by harming the other.

"We're going to an auction house now, Right and Left," Joy said, using her oldest nickname. It was used the most. "Gonna get some more slaves. Might even be some little kids to add to my collection!" she exclaimed excitedly. Neither knew what an auction house was, but they didnt didnt want to go.

They didn't try to run, however. Of course not.

But, before they got to the Celestial Dragons' destination, they passed someone who caused trouble. Luffy and Ruffy looked at the man who was snoring on the ground, slumped over, not in a bowing position. He was asleep. The two didn't know if he was in the middle of bowing, or just fell asleep and landed like that. The procession stopped.

A man with strange blonde hair watched from a tree, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose when he saw the sleeping man. But he didn't go to help. The boys wondered why when a gun was pulled on the sleeper.

"Oi, scum! How dare you not bow in our presence!" The black haired man didn't respond in any way. Well, he snored especially loudly. They saw the other man walking over with a slightly angry, slightly bored expression. "Wake up!" The sleeper did not wake up.

So Joy's father shot him. The twins gasped at the sudden shot, and hurried to get closer to each other. But the shirtless, sleeping man didn't respond, wasn't hurt by the bullet that seemed to go through his body.

He finally woke up when the other man grew blue wings and flew to the father Celestial Dragon and kicked him in the face. Everyone gasped and started running off. The stupid bubble hat popped, and the noble started shouting about being exposed to the air polluted by poor and dirty people.

"Damn pirates! Look what you've done!" someone in the crowd shouted.

"Haha, Marco, you know an admiral will be coming now, right?" the finally awake young man said. Marco sighed.

"Your fault, Ace," Marco said as they ran. But, at the last moment, Ace turned to the twins and looked at them sadly, before giving them a kind smile. Then he ran off and away as the World Noble's wife screamed about scum, evil pirates! How dare they do this to her husband?! Don't they know who they are?!

Chaos continued as the boys continued to look in the direction that the pirates ran off to. "Ruffy, let's be pirates like those brave guys," Luffy said with a smile. "When we get out, we'll be pirates! Whatever those are," he added. Joy, thankfully, didn't hear him. Ruffy nodded his head in agreement.

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**Oh Ace, what are we going to do with you? Review!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Last chapter! I wish this story had gotten more attention, but oh well I guess. It was a pretty short fic for me. Enjoy~**

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The group didn't go to the slave auction house. They were too angry and believed the father noble was going to get sick from breathing the same air as these people, so they needed to hurry away from the polluted air.

The twins were pulled back to the elevator quickly. They thought it was strange that the nobles thought that the air was bad. Neither boy was sick from breathing it. They didn't understand this.

As they went up the bubble elevator, the boys saw a giant ship sink into the ocean, covered in a bubble. They wondered if that was how they went to Fishman Island. Aladine had talked about humans needing bubbles to make it deep into the ocean.

When they got to Joy's room, they were undressed and put back in their regular outfits, and dragged back to their cells. Joy wasn't in a good mood. She didn't get to buy anymore little boys, and didn't want to look at the ones she had since it made her so angry. And she didn't like being angry. Both boys knew that.

When they were shoved into the cage, which wasn't necessary as they went in like they were supposed to, they immediately started talking about the pirates. "I can't wait to get out and be pirates!" Luffy cheered.

"I wonder what pirates are, though," Ruffy replied. It didn't take long for a few of the fishman to start talking about pirates, which they had been. When the boys were told what pirates were, and what the good ones did, both boys' big brown eyes widened.

"Adventures? Really?" Ruffy asked in amazement.

"Really. You sail across the vast seas with a crew, a group of people made up of your friends," Aladine said. They all left out what the majority of pirates did. No, they spoke about pirates like the Whitebeard and Shanks' crew. Even their own crew had been made up of their friends.

"We were pirates, too," Sandersonia said with a light smile.

"Wow! All of you are pirates?" Luffy asked. So many pirates in such a small space?

"Yes. It was only women on our pirate crew. But, we were abducted from our ship, so it doesn't have the best last memories," Marigold said. But she brought a small smiled back to her face. "But the good memories are the best I have."

Even Hancock spoke up. "Being on the sea is amazing. Our ship had sea monsters pulling it, since we lived in the Calm Belt," she said, and then described what the Calm Belt was. The pirates in the room explained the seas to the boys. It was the most enjoyable conversation the slaves had had in a very, very long time. A conversation that brought good memories.

"We'll definitely be pirates. Even though grandpa sometimes said we have to be marines. But you said marines work for the bad guys, so no! We won't be marines," Luffy said firmly.

"That's right. Marines are bad!" Ruffy agreed.

"Who knows. Maybe you two really will become pirates someday," Aladine humored them. It was best to give the boys hope while they could. Though the others were all surprised the youngest had not been broken yet. It was most likely because they had each other to comfort and love.

There were reasons the Boa sisters had broken. The little boys didn't go through the horrible things the women did. So it was understandable that the girls had broken, though Hancock grew more bitter than the other two.

The boys went to sleep that night with smiles and hope. They wondered how that guy had made blue wings. It was so cool!

-x-

The dream of being pirates stuck to them for days, which Joy didn't like. They didn't cry when hit or verbally abused. They were in a daze of hoping to be pirates when they get out. They didn't even protest being dressed up. Aladine said pirates persevere, which meant they went through things with confidence even if it was hard.

But, because they were not being upset like usual, they left to go to their cell with more bruises than they had in awhile.

"Pirates aren't weak, so we didn't cry today! But she hit us a lot," Ruffy told Adaline.

"That's true; you have to be strong to be a pirate. Though, you boys are much too young for anytime soon. So you have a lot of time to get stronger once you get out," the merman said. He couldn't help but be affected by their strong belief they will get out some day. He didn't like the feeling of that kind of hope. It had been a long time since he'd felt hope. The sisters couldn't help but be affected as well.

They never noticed Koala listened to their stories and conversations with real smiles. The optimism of the slave boys was refreshing for everyone. It was like they brightened the cold and dark room.

It was only the sisters and a few fishman along with Adaline that spoke. The others were more broken, but they did listen to the boys, though their words don't affect them much.

-x-

The slaves woke to screaming and heat. The twins shot up, and cowered in the corner. The screams were very loud, and they could see flickering orange light through the crack under the cement door that was always locked.

The sisters cowered together as well. The fishmen were the ones who looked serious and not terrified. What was going on? Why was there fire on the other side of the door. "Wh- what's happening?" Ruffy asked with a shaking voice.

"Maybe grandpa came?" Luffy asked, though he was shaking as well. But, he had never come before...Grandpa… would he light the fire? They knew that was what was under the door, along with the heat. Then, suddenly, the stone door flew open and banged into the wall. Smoke came in, but the fire wasn't right in front of the door as they thought.

They couldn't tell who was in the doorway, but he didn't take long to break open the cages, and unlock all of the bomb collars with keys he had somehow acquired. When the slaves hurried out of the cage doors, Luffy and Ruffy were stepped on, and thrown to the outside of the crowd. They wanted to be unlocked now!

They struggled to get to the front of the crowd, but everyone was too big, especially all of the fishman; they were huge compared to the six year olds. They held their hands tightly. As the crowd dwindled, the smoke started to come into the room. The unlocked slaves fled the room, mostly barefoot, and into the heat and smoke. It was the only way out, after all.

The boys were finally freed from their bomb collars, to be picked up and thrown over a fishman's shoulders. They screamed at the flames that came closer to them, and coughed from the smoke. Some of the men shouted in relief.

"Luffy, Ruffy! You were right, we are being freed!" Macro, someone who had never spoken to them, called. The boys started cheering through their coughs.

"We will be pirates!" Luffy shouted. Ruffy cheered in agreement. "We can go home!"

They saw Celestial Dragons fleeing the buildings. They saw Joy, and couldn't help but smile at her broken leg as she limped away. She saw them, and screamed at them to come back. That they belong to her.

"YOU BUTT-HEAD!" Luffy shouted loudly, the meanest insult he knew. Ruffy stuck his tongue out at her. They both giggled while the fishmen laughed. They were so full of life all of the sudden.

The boys still hadnt gotten a good look at who had saved all of them, as he was running ahead of the group of the fishmen former-slaves. They followed him closely, and the boys were facing behind, so they didn't notice that the group was nearing closer and closer to the side of the Red Line.

Then they jumped.

Luffy and Ruffy had never screamed louder than they did right then. Not even that loud when being branded. They looked down and could see the ocean getting closer and closer. The fishmen laughed, overjoyed with their freedom.

"It's alright boys, we'll keep you safe!" Aladine called, loud enough for them to hear over the whistling in their ears from falling so quickly. But the twins still screamed.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE BEFORE BEING PIRATES!" Ruffy shrieked in panic.

"NOOOO!" Luffy screamed. They couldn't die before being pirates! No, they were free, they wouldn't die now!

They all finally hit the water, both little boys encircled in strong arms so they didn't directly hit the waves. There were no marine ships waiting down there, but a single ship. It wasn't huge, but was big enough for them to all fit on comfirtably.

The boys sputtered through the waves, spitting out water. They swam to the ship, before shooting up out of the water and onto the deck with the fishman who carried them. A few of the fishmen were crying, while some were laughing. There was a total of twenty of them, while there were only two humans, two very small humans.

They cried about finally being free, though they had always believed they would be. They weren't broken! No, Joy wouldnt get the pleasure of having broken her toys. But they werent toys anymore, they were free! They were future pirates.

The ship quickly sailed away. The boys hoped the sisters had gotten away, and all of the others. Maybe they'd jumped off the side and had a rescue ship, too. It was dark out, and the boys looked at the stars.

They finally got a look at the man who set all the slaves free. He was red, and clearly a fishman like the others. He looked at them with a calculating, and not kind, look.

"Thank you!" both boys shouted loudly through their tears.

"Don't thank me, thank the others who took you with us," he said in a stern voice. The twins werent bothered. Aladine came over, grinning, and sat right in front of them.

"Thank you two for giving everyone hope that we'd escape," he said sincerely. The boys laughed.

"We told you so!" Ruffy said in good spirits.

"You didn't believe us!" Luffy laughed cheerfully. They hadnt been this happy in the year or so they'd been stuck up there with the evil people. The ship sailed away before any marine ships approached. The savior, Fisher Tiger, was confused with his fellow men who had taken the two children with them.

Macro, who had suddenly become talkative, told him all about the boys and their attitudes and how they made the long days easier. So the captain of the ship didn't protest taking them away with them.

The ship wasn't coated, so they couldn't go under the sea for awhile since Saboady would be guarded and busy, being so close to Mary Geious. They continued to sail for hours through the dark waters.

The boys got to eat real food after over a year of cold soup and bread. And they ate  _a lot._  Especially for little kids. They devoured everything as fast as possible. Ruffy choked multiple times, but guzzled the fresh water gratefully.

It was after dinner that Aladine approached the two laying on the deck, looking at the night sky. "Where did you two live before being taken?" he asked.

"We lived on Morning Island," Luffy said. Ruffy corrected him that it was  _Dawn_ Island. "Yeah, that."

Aladine got up. It was an island at the start of the Grand Line. But, he wanted to take these boys home. They deserved to go home, and live their lives peacefully until they became strong pirates. The merman went to Fisher Tiger, and spoke to him. He asked if they could take the children back to their home island.

He was hesitant, but after looking at the cheerful kids, pointing up at the sky and talking about the stars, he agreed. They would take these two back home. He was impressed that, though children, they had not broken. Not like the other human slaves he'd set free.

-x-

"Why do you insist on having the same clothes?" Fisher Tiger asked the boys as they happily wore one of the new outfits bought for them from the Sun Pirates.

"We like being the same," Luffy replied. Then he frowned. "'Cept Joy cut my cheek and now we look different!"

"I hate her. I hope she's hurt like she hurt us," Ruffy grumbled. "She made us cry and that was embarrassing and then she made us look like dolls and hit us when we messed up the makeup!"

Aladine sighed. What an immature child that brat was. He wondered if she had died, and he honestly didn't care if she did. He had checked over the boys thoroughly when he actually had real medical tools. They had various bruises, still after a month, and were extremely malnourished. Growing boys needed a lot of nutrients, and he wondered if they hadnt grown much over the year because of not having enough food.

Well, now they had more than enough, which they couldn't be happier about. Some of the others laughed at their words. The two had also gotten real haircuts on a previous island, so they looked back to how they did when they first were captured. Nice and filled out and fitting into clothes properly. They also finally had shoes that fit.

The two had had old burns on their feet from when Joy was feeling extra malicious and one time made them burn their feet on a candle. They were small burns that would fade one day, though.

What would always stay, would be their brands, which the fishmen couldn't stand to see. They wished they could do something about that.

But, when Fisher Tiger one day, two months after their escape and way back to the twins' home island, he came out with his own brand. A sun. Each fishman former-slave had it burned over the Celestial Dragon's marks. It hurt, but Aladine treated them on the ship as the ship's doctor.

They had been unsure about doing the same for the boys, but when Luffy one day complained about always having the slave mark on his back, they got the option to be branded as well. Ruffy was hesitant, for he didn't want to feel the pain again, but Luffy bravely said yes, and was able to convince his brother that it would be worth it.

So, the sun mark was burned over the Hoof of the Flying Dragon. Neither screamed. They did bite their lips hard enough to bleed, but they didn't scream. The burns were quickly treated, and healed much quicker than the previous one.

-x-

The Sun Pirates ship docked at a small village's docks, bringing out the civilians, who were nervous about the pirate ship and the fishmen, though they were more afraid of them being pirates than what race they were.

There was no time to wait for the boys as they ran to the ship's helm and started crying out, "We're home!"

They jumped off the side of the ship, their legs feeling a painful jolt momentarily, and ran down the dock to their old neighbors and friends. "Makino!" both boys cried out, running towards the young woman, who was too shocked to move.

But, when both of them latched around her waist in a tight hug, she started to cry, and knelt down to hug them back. They finally started crying, crying out all of the stress and fear they'd bottled up for so long. They cried about missing home, and the mean people, and the pain they went through.

Makino sobbed along with them, while those who would help look after the children when Garp was away came over and cried as well. Only the mayor left to walk down the docks and thank the fishmen from the bottom of their hearts.

The pirates were clearly surprised with the small man's attitude towards them, as they'd mostly had bad interactions with humans. "Would you like to come celebrate with us? Their return deserves a celebration," he said. The pirates thanked him, but declined.

Aladine called to the boys, "We'd better hear you two become strong pirates when you're older!" The kids turned around and waved.

"We'll be super strong! Promise!" they shouted at the same time. No one had the heart to tell them not to. The boys deserved to have whatever life they wanted after being slaves. No one would tell them what they can or can't be. Never again.

"Thank you! Goodbye!" Luffy called.

"We'll never forget you!" Ruffy shouted. The two watched the ship sail away with big smiles. They joined hands tightly. They were free.

That day, not long after the boys had a big feast, did the two end up at the doorstep of a small, one story house. Makino smiled down at them, and knocked on the wooden door. There was no answer for a moment until a tired looking old man opened the door.

The twins immediately frowned.  _Grandpa._  The man looked down at them and didn't react for a moment, before he knelt down and started crying out apologies, hugging them tightly.

"You let us get taken," Luffy said in a hard voice. Garp flinched. Makino turned away to give some privacy, while also not leaving the boys alone with their grandfather if they didn't want to be.

"They hurt us and were mean. And you didnt come!" Ruffy cried, pulling out of grandpa's arms. "We thought you would come and you never did!" Garp just scrunched his face up in misery, and continued to cry.

"I know. And I'm so sorry," he replied very quietly. "I… I understand if you never want to be around me anymore, but I'm just so glad you're both okay." He sighed and tried to compose himself. "I left the marines. I couldn't stand working under the World Nobles while I couldn't reach you. I had no way to get to you."

Ruffy looked to his brother with big eyes. Grandpa loved being in the marines. The boy said this, confused. "I used to like being a marine. I used to ignore who we worked under for the sake of 'justice'. But… slavery is not justice. Torture is not justice. I wish I had realized that much sooner." He sighed. "Then, I could have been with you two longer. Not pawned you off to Makino and the others. And I'm sorry for that. I didn't spend precious time with you two, and didn't realize how much I needed it until you were gone."

The boys both had tears in their eyes. Luffy firmly said, "Never let us get taken again. And we're gonna be pirates, because pirates are brave and saved us."

"I'll never let you be taken. I swear on my life. And I won't stop you from following whatever you dream of."

" _Grandpa!"_ both of them cried, hugging Garp tightly, crying along with the man who never thought he'd hold his grandsons ever again.

"I- I miss- missed you!"

"Sh- she was m- mean!"

"I never wanna go back!"

"You never will."

~The End~

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**A happy ending! Poor Garp. Must have been so hard for him after they were taken. Review.**


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